


Where do We Draw the Line?

by basil7



Series: Forty Love [1]
Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension, oblivious Domi, sarcastic Sascha, thirev
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-13 01:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18022556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basil7/pseuds/basil7
Summary: A tennis court is marked by lines - service line, baseline, centre line, sideline. But where do you draw the line in a friendship? Should there even be a line? Or, how oblivious Domi and sarcastic Sascha miscommunicate.





	Where do We Draw the Line?

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. This came about as a result of Domi's (terrible) loss in Rio, and Sascha's (less terrible) loss in Acapulco. These two haven't been interacting much this season, so this is just a projection of my wishes.  
> 2\. The characters' thoughts are in italics.  
> 3\. THIS IS FICTION; I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS, THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE. Some of the things happen for real, see Notes for references.

_~Domi~_

Everything is messed up. Rio wasn't supposed to go this way. Australian Open was a disaster, but Rio could have helped him get back on his feet. It didn't happen, though. It never seems to happen. He has been waiting for that big break, but these days it feels like it's never coming. May be it won't. He is twenty-five already - he is running out of time.  But he is an athlete; if there's anything he knows, it's how **not** to give up. He won't be a quitter. Besides, there's the other matter - Sascha. His tennis career is so inextricably linked with Sascha, he cannot even contemplate giving up when there's this strange, unresolved thing between the two of them. Dominic has thought about this a lot ( _he has a lot of free time, what else is he supposed to do?_ ), ~~over~~ analysed the situation, and still cannot grasp what exactly has marred their carefree friendship. He should concentrate on the upcoming Indian Wells, but the problem with practice is that at some point it ends, and then he is once again left with his fears and insecurities and confusions. 

Dominic watches Sascha play. _No, this isn't about his unlimited free time, this is homework for Indian Wells, he is watching other players too, okay?_ On the screen the tall frame of the German flits across the court swiftly, with more speed than grace, making Domi feel uneasy for some inexplicable reason. That blond head, that barely-there smirk, that almost-but-not-quite fist pump - and Domi's stomach twists, and his heart thumps erratically against his ribs. Well, this isn't really unexpected. Sascha always manages to get on his nerves ( _Sascha_ _gets on everyone's nerves, when you come to think about it_ ), in person or on screen. But there's more to it now. He keeps fretting over what went wrong in their friendship. He can't quite put a finger on it; this sudden distance between them is so perplexing it's driving him to distraction. He shouldn't bother, he should concentrate on tennis, he is old enough to prioritise between his career and his friendship - at least that's what the rational part of his brain tells him. The other part - the part that lights up when he sees Sascha - tries to solve why their dynamic went awry. They were supposed to be Thirev, the next great thing in tennis, and yet here he is, ousted in the first round of a '500' event and he doesn't even have the comfort or consolation of Sascha's camaraderie. And - _oh my god, Sascha can actually volley?! Since when does he do that?! Must have picked it up from Mischa. This must be a fluke! Told you, he **was** doing his homework! _\- well, he just wishes Sascha ( _who has apparently learned to successfully volley somewhere between Australian Open and Acapulco semifinal_ ) would explain why he has built up this wall between them. The truth is, alone in front of a screen Domi manages to realise that he misses Sascha more than he allows himself to admit.

 

_~Sascha~_

Sascha loves Acapulco. He loves the beautiful view, the sea, the sun, the crowd, the doubles matches with Mischa. In short, he loves Acapulco with all his heart, because what's the point of doing anything if you do it halfheartedly? And of course, he cannot forget last year's exhibition here. The match was phenomenal, but more memorable were Domi's words after the match. In a stadium full of people, he said: _"The best view was Sascha, opposite of me. Better than all the sea..."_ The sweet words Dominic unknowingly uttered still resonate in his mind one year later. That's why he came a week early, a week before the tournament actually started - to reacquaint himself with the place that holds one of his happiest memories with his Domi. _No, not **his** , of course not. He is not stupid, he knows he is only a friend to Domi, not even a best friend, he shouldn't expect anything more, he has no **right** to expect anything at all. _Indeed, what Domi said in good humour held an altogether different meaning for Sascha. How could it not when he has always loved Domi, ever since they were teenagers goofing around on tennis courts, dreaming big and smiling bigger? In his mind, they were supposed to be Thirev, the rivalry that became a friendship that became a bromance that became a romance. It isn't Domi's fault that Sascha fell for him. _Well, it kind of is, isn't it? Why the hell does he smile at him like that? Why does he put up with his moods and tantrums with that expression of exasperated fondness? Why is he so unfailingly kind when Sascha doesn't deserve it at all?_ It is kind of a cliche, but it hurts, and Sascha would rather eat all the racquets he smashed in his life ( _there's been quite a few, hasn't there?_ ) than act like a character in a cheap romance novel. So he does what he does best - he runs away from his problems. If he cannot forget his problems, the least he can do is pretend that he **has** no problem whatsoever. It seems like a perfectly sound plan, and he takes pride in the fact that he executes it quite efficiently. He plays tennis, jokes about everything, and avoids Dominic. Self-preservation is on the top of his list of priorities, even before Acapulco win - hell, even before a damn Grand Slam. 

* * *

 

_~Domi~_

Federer has won his 100th title in Dubai. The internet is abuzz with the news. He cannot even begin to comprehend what it takes for a man to win a hundred titles. Especially since twenty of those are Grand Slams. It seems unreal, unbelievable, as if in a dream or a film. But it is real. It is a proof all over again that Roger Federer is no mere mortal. And where does Domi count, in the great scheme of things? For all his dreams and efforts, he has nothing to show for it but a handful of measly '250' and '500' event titles. When ATP contacts him about making that congratulatory video for Roger, of course he agrees. He is genuinely happy for him, and doesn't hesitate to applaud his achievements. He respects Roger a great deal, and he has always been nice to him even though Dominic is a nobody. ATP's finished video - a compilation of various players congratulating Roger - makes him smile. But then he sees Sascha, towards the end of the video, just before Nick. Sascha and Nick are both through to the final of Acapulco, and Sascha seems really cheerful, as he grins and jokes about Roger's matches against him. Sascha's radiant face reminds him of their time in Acapulco last year - _oh, how things have changed since then! Indeed, how things **have** changed! Oh, he has been utterly blind!_ Realisation crashes down on Domi; he goes hot in embarrassment about his own stupidity, and then cold as he becomes aware of what is at stake. 

Sascha must have wanted more; in fact, as he thinks over every single moment of their time together, Sascha has always wanted more. Though he has only a vague notion of what "more" constitutes of, he can bet his right hand on it that Sascha is not content with whatever it is that they share. And what is it that they share? Tennis is the only connecting link between them. Their lives are irrevocably marked and defined by tennis. And a tennis court itself is marked by lines - service line, baseline, centre line, sideline. But where do you draw the line in a friendship? Domi calls Sascha to ask.

 

~ _Sascha~_

Sascha is glad to be part of the ATP video to celebrate Roger's 100th title. He even takes it as an opportunity to troll his idol a little. He's in the final at Acapulco, so he's allowed to have a bit of fun, he reasons. But once he receives the ATP video, he realises he is going to pay for that moment of levity with another frustrating, dream-riddled, nearly-sleepless night. _Get a grip on yourself, Alexander, you're not twelve anymore! Stop, stop, don't rewatch the video, you idiot!_ _Mooning over Domi is not going to help with the situation at all._ And speak of the devil, why is Domi calling him?!

Apparently Sascha's life is in complete shambles, and Domi has figured out this whole miserable ordeal of Sascha's unrequited "thing" for Domi. And what's more, the wretched Austrian has the bloody nerve to ask him where he is supposed to draw the line in a friendship. He wants to yell at Domi, throw all the obscenities and expletives in his vocabulary that spans across three languages, but he wins the struggle against his ~~perfectly justified~~ rage and replies calmly: "Why should there even be a line, Domi? Isn't friendship all about spontaneity?" And then, to his unending annoyance, Domi _apologises_. He doesn't even explain what on earth he's apologising for, but he keeps saying, "But I'm sorry, Sascha, I'm so very sorry!" 

And Sascha, being Sascha, laughs it off with his usual biting sarcasm, dies a little inside, and loses his final against Nick. 

 

~to be continued~

 

**Author's Note:**

> References:  
> 1\. This is the exhibition (Acapulco 2018) Sascha and Dominic think about; Dominic really says those words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH5BZYEuSG8&list=PLajzQPRD_sX6uJ2dhbLG8kOz9qoAellXm&index=2&t=0s  
> 2\. This is the ATP video in which players congratulate Roger on his 100 titles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Ou9Z_9aRo  
> 3\. Sascha mentioned in his runner-up speech at Acapulco that he came a week before the tournament started because he loved it there.


End file.
